Assistance systems capable of determining the position of a vehicle relative to a parking space, configuring a path into the parking space and controlling the movement of the vehicle along this path without the assistance of a driver are generally known. However, these conventional assistance systems are unable to detect potential problems during a parking maneuver with the required reliability. As such, it is therefore still preferred that a person monitor the parking maneuver such that it can be aborted in case a critical situation arises.
For example, DE102009041587A1 discloses a driver assistance device for assisting in parking maneuvers, wherein a vehicle-based camera transmits images of the vehicle surroundings to a display screen of a remote control in order to enable the user to detect a critical situation such as, e.g., the vehicle approaching other persons and to abort the parking maneuver in case such a critical situation is detected.
One prerequisite for the effectiveness of this conventional assistance device is that the user attentively monitors the remote control such that the parking maneuver can be aborted in a timely fashion, if so required. However, the more reliable these assistance systems become, the higher the tendency of the users to rely on their correct operation and to no longer monitor the braking maneuver with the appropriate diligence. This means that particularly the high reliability of such assistance devices in standard situations can lead to the driver not reacting as required in a critical situation.
A manual parking maneuver controlled by a driver seated in the vehicle also needs to be attentively monitored. When the steering wheel is turned while backing into the parking space, the front section and the rear section of the vehicle move in opposite directions such that it is difficult for the driver to monitor all parts of the vehicle that may come in contact with external obstacles with the required diligence.